Double Trouble
by ilovenascar
Summary: Gibbs takes care of his daughters for the night.


Fic Title: Double Trouble

Fic Title: Double Trouble

Author: I Love NASCAR

Fandom: NCIS

Pairing: Jibbs

Date: May 21, 2008

Feedback: Please

Rating: G

Disclaimer: The only characters I own in this are Maddie & Kenzie. Gibbs & Jenny are, unfortunately, not mine.

Summary: Gibbs takes care of his daughters for the night.

Jethro Gibbs sighed, looking at the mess scattered around the house. It was partially his fault; he tended to spoil his twin daughters more than he should, but the fact that they were alive at all called on more miracles than he cared to remember. Still, he wanted to have the house in good order when Jenny returned...in an hour. Although she no longer seemed frightened to go outside alone, she usually chose to stay around the house with the girls. The times that she would go out, especially if it was a grownup day, he wanted her to feel that she could leave, that she could trust him to keep things running without her.

He was brought back to the living room by the familiar tones of two cranky young ladies. "Daddy! Daddy!"

He scooped his redheaded daughter up in his arms, seeing the tears, trying to judge whether they were fake to manipulate him or if she was really upset. "What, baby?"

"Sissi hit me." She held the back of her head.

Gibbs closed his eyes and then opened them, hearing Jenny's warning in the back of his mind that if he didn't stop hitting his own people on the back of the head the girls would follow his example. "Mackenzie Nicole Gibbs, we do not hit."

"Wanna watch Copper." The brunette stuck her lips out in a pout, her arms crossed, something Gibbs privately thought of as the little girl digging in her heels as her mother had so many times.

"That's no excuse for hitting." He paused, feeling like a hypocrite, after all, she was just echoing what she saw. He aimed the next at both girls. "Get your blankets and you can watch The Aristocats until Mama gets home."

Maddie kissed his cheek, but Kenzie still pouted. "I want to watch Copper."

"You shouldn't have hit Sissy. That's not how we get what we want." Although it had always been an effective way for him. "Tell her you're sorry and run get your blanket. You two little ladies are going to take a nap before Mama comes home."

"Sorry," Mackenzie said, Gibbs not bothering to question whether she really meant it or whether she was trying to get in good graces again.

When the girls were stretched out on opposite ends of the sofa, their heads meeting on the middle cushion, their blankets they'd had since they were babies over them, Maddie's kitten Toulouse at her feet and Kenzie's puppy Copper curled in her arms, Gibbs finally sighed from relief. He loved his daughters more than words could say. With how long Jenny had been out after she'd been shot, how hard it had been for her to get pregnant, the girls being born too early, they, along with Jenny, were his miracles, but if anyone had ever told him he'd be fifty-five with twin three-year-old daughters, he would have told them they were crazy. They exhausted him more than even his team did and he knew that even Jenny needed a rest from time to time. He watched the familiar cat movie, set in what was supposed to be 1910 Paris, which was another reason he suspected Madeleine loved it so much. She was enough like her mother that she had begun to form attachments to the same things Jenny liked, including Paris and jazz music. He couldn't help but grin when he heard Maddie start singing the songs along with the movie, her sister joining in after awhile. While Maddie was like her mama, Kenzie was more like him. She loved playing outside, loved animals, even had her own tiny workbench she'd gotten on one of her birthdays. He'd never realized the similarities between him and Jenny until he thought of how alike the girls were at times. Both were stubborn to a fault, capable of getting their own way especially with their extended 'aunts' and 'uncles'. Kenzie could say or do anything she liked to her sister, but if someone else was upsetting her, she'd defend her Maddie with her life. Either of the girls were perfectly capable of leading the other into mischief at times, so quickly it frightened him, reminding him of how many scrapes he and Jenny had gotten into over the years. He watched the kitten and dog, asleep curled up with each other, and his girls, Kenzie holding her sister's hand, both taking the nap they hated so much. He walked over to the couch, covering them up a little better, kissing red hair and then brown, beginning to clean up and then start dinner.

"Everybody, everybody, everybody wants to be a cat," Jenny Shepherd found herself singing as soon as she came into the house, hearing the music to the end of the movie. She had had a great day, but had missed her family, Jethro and their little girls.

She stood between the kitchen and the living room, smiling at the sight, her two girls asleep, holding each other's hands, Jethro nearby in his chair, sound asleep as well. She snapped a picture, managing to get it all in one shot, and put her camera down, tiptoeing over to her partner and kissing him slowly, feeling him respond before opening his eyes and bringing her to rest in his lap.

"Did you have a good day?" He asked, kissing her again, watching the way her green eyes sparkled.

"A great one. I got a present for everyone. Candy for the girls..." She knew they didn't need any more sugar, as hyper as they always were, but it wouldn't make or break either of them to have their favorite treats. "And something extra special for you."

He made a face. "Not coffee jelly beans again, right? I don't care what Shelby says. They're not as good as the real thing."

"Nothing ever is." She teased. "No, something for me to wear."

His eyes widened in surprise before he smiled mischievously. She was self-conscious about the scars that still remained from her bullet wounds, but to him they were a painful albeit beautiful reminder never to take her for granted again. "Sounds great."

She kissed his cheek, snuggling closer to him, watching their daughters. "Did they behave?"

"No more than usual. If they act exactly like us, I'm surprised Ducky never put Valium in our coffee." She gave him a look. "I'm just saying."

"They're rambunctious." She pushed stop on the DVD player, turning the tv off. "What did I miss?"

"You were right." Her eyes widened in surprise at those words coming from him. "Kenzie slapped the back of Maddie's head because she wouldn't let her watch Copper."

"Like father, like daughter," Jenny muttered under her breath.

"I heard that," Gibbs said, a slight teasing tone in his voice.

"Good. I meant for you to hear it." She paused. "Are you going to stop hitting Tony on the back of the head in front of her now?"

"Probably not." He paused. "But I'll try."

She kissed him. "That's all I ask." She studied him. "What do you want for dinner?"

"I already started lasagna for us and chicken nuggets for the girls in. They should be done any minute." He made no move to get up, liking the feel of having her close.

Jenny studied their girls again. "How long have they been asleep?"

"About forty minutes. I need to wake them up or they'll never sleep tonight." He knew from experience that if the twins didn't sleep, Jenny didn't sleep and if Jenny didn't sleep, he didn't either.

"Why don't you do that while I go finish dinner?" He groaned softly from the loss of contact with her, watching her go to the kitchen, before waking the girls up, helping them wash their hands, making sure the pets stayed out of the way, letting the girls carry their cups to the table as he set the place settings, Jenny bringing the food over.

The girls chatted away about their day, Jenny about her conversation with Shelby, Gibbs just listening patiently, trying to keep up. He cleaned the dishes and kitchen while Jenny went to help the girls with their baths, managing to get soaked in the process as she did every night, helping Maddie change into her purple gown, Kenzie into her blue cotton footie pajamas.

Jenny sat on Kenzie's bed, Gibbs on Maddie's, Kenzie getting to pick the story for that night. "If you give a mouse a cookie..." Jenny began, very seriously. "He's going to ask for a glass of milk..."

She finished the story, mercifully getting off easily with just one instead of having to give in to reading two or three as she usually did. They crept out together after making sure the nightlight was turned on. When they were in their room, Jenny kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For today." She paused. "They can be a handful..."

"I'm good." He pulled her closer, kissing her, making her forget what she was saying. "Now where's that new outfit?"

She laughed softly. "Let me go shower." He moaned as she pulled away. "I'll be back." She showered, changing into the new gown, coming back into the bedroom, smiling to herself as she saw him passed out on top of the covers, his shoes still on. "Oh well..." she whispered to herself, laying down next to him, curling into his arms, watching him sleep before drifting off herself.


End file.
